Search Site

A Two Week Itinerary to Germany, Austria & the Czech Republic

Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic are some of Europe’s most visited countries, for obvious reasons. Due to their close proximity to one another, an overall trip to all three of these countries makes for the perfect getaway for a quick school or work break. My family and I went on a trip this past winter throughout some of these three countries’ top cities, which you’ve probably caught on to if you’ve been reading my blog for a while. So, to conclude my entire series on that trip, I decided to write an overall outline/itinerary to the places we visited. In this post, I’ll be showing almost the exact path that I went on throughout my family’s two week trip to all of these countries (+ a quick pit stop in Slovakia!). This post will definitely help you out if you’re planning on visiting any of these sites, whether that be in the near or far future. With info on accommodation, transportation, activities and basics of each of the stops on the itinerary, hopefully this article can either give you an exact itinerary or a helpful outline to how to visit all three of these destinations in just two weeks.

Munich (4 nights)

Day 1 – Arrive in Munich

Fly in, drive in, or take a train into Munich, your starting destination for the trip. Obviously being located in Germany, the main language of Munich is German, and the common currency used are Euros. My family and I flew into Munich from Phoenix (and coincidentally connected through Toronto), which is over half a day of travel, so we were obviously pretty tired once we arrived in Germany. Depending on where you’re coming to Munich from, you may or may not also be worn out once you arrive in the city – however, it’s always nice to have some down time when travelling, so spend your first day of the trip just checking into your hotel and mostly laying low. Just make sure to make time for picking up / purchasing a rental car on your first day, which will help you tons with getting around the cities as well as getting from city to city.

Day 2 – Munich

Spend your second day of the trip centred in Munich. There’s tons to do in Bavaria’s capital, that can keep you entertained for months! From the famously Bavarian Höfbrauhaus to the bustling Marienplatz, the breathtaking Frauenkirche to the interesting Munich Residence, and the huge Olympiapark to the iconic Allianz Arena, there’s so much to see within the city. Either chose just a few attractions that seem the most interesting to you to spend your day visiting, or, if you’re looking to see as much of Munich as possible, check out my separate ‘One Day Munich Itinerary’ blog post where I guide you through how to have the perfect day in Munich.

Munich is located about half an hour away from Dachau Concentration Camp, one of the thousands of Nazi concentration camps that were made during the Holocaust. Today at the site of the former camp stands a memorial area, that is now open to the public. It’s up to you whether or not you want to drive out to Dachau to see the concentration camp memorial. If you think it might be too much for you, I’d probably suggest against visiting. If you think you’d be able to handle it, however, definitely take the time to come. My family and I visited Dachau one of the days that we stayed overnight in Munich, and although visiting was a very heartbreaking experience, it was also very impacting and that I’m glad I did go. For more information about the memorial, that you might want to read before deciding if you want to visit, click here to read my blog post about it.

Salzburg (2 nights)

Before heading out Germany and into Austria, take advantage of Neuschwanstein Castle’s closeness to Munich and make a pit stop at the castle on your way to Salzburg! This castle, positioned in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, is straight out of a fairytale – both literally and figuratively. Neuschwanstein is said to be the inspiration for Walt Disney’s Cinderella Castle, which is evident from the design of the castle. From the top of the mountains around Neuschwanstein, you’ll find beautiful views of the surrounding towns and nature. I had heard and seen so much about this castle online, and ever since I first heard of it, I knew I had to visit someday. So even though it was a bit out of the way, I was able to fit it into our itinerary while visiting part of Germany! I’m so glad I did get to visit, and I’m sure if you decide to do so as well, you’ll feel the same. Check out my post all about Neuschwanstein here.

Day 5 – Salzburg

Forever famed for its feature in the ‘Sound of Music’, Salzburg, famous for many other reasons, is another fairytale type destination. There’s truly so much in Salzburg that you need much more than just a day to really take it all in, but with the two week time limit my family and I had to stick within for our trip prevented us for staying any longer than two nights. To see as much of Salzburg as you can, I would again recommend following my one day itinerary to the city, as it covers a lot of the top sights throughout Salzburg in a quite packed but not incredibly overwhelming day. Of course you can instead choose just one place to spend your whole day at, but I think following my itinerary is a better choice just so you can see as much of Salzburg as possible.

Vienna (2 nights)

Day 6 – Salzburg ~ Hallstatt ~ Vienna

Again, take advantage of your rental car by stopping off in Hallstatt on the way to your next overnight stop. If you don’t know about it already, Hallstatt is a beautiful, lakeside Austrian village. Located in the middle of the country’s lake region, in recent years it has gained tons of fame as one of the most popular (once) hidden gem towns to visit in Austria. Known for its Old Town’s spirited and colourful homes, the breathtaking views it offers of the Hallstatt Lake, and the famous postcard shot of the town’s small skyline, Hallstatt is straight out of a picture book. Hallstatt is barely out of the way on the drive from Salzburg to Vienna, which makes it the perfect “day trip” (of sorts) that I promise you won’t regret visiting one bit. Read my Hallstatt guide here.

Days 7 and 8 – Vienna

Spend your next couple days fully within in Vienna, Austria’s capital often known as the Imperial City. The cobblestone streets of this city’s Old Town are etched with history, culture, and art. Schönbrunn Palace, the most visited attraction in the country, is an elegant royal palace located just outside of Old Town Vienna. Within the main neighbourhood, you’ll find Hofburg Palace, another imperial mansion with centuries of history behind it. Virtually every street you walk down in Vienna is the perfect photo! During my trip, I actually only got to spend one quick day in Vienna. Even though I did see a lot during that one day, looking back I really wish I had got to spend more time there. So, I adjusted this itinerary a bit from the original one my family and I followed to include an extra day in Vienna – you’ll definitely thank me for it once you see just how much this city has to offer for yourself!

Prague (3 nights)

Day 9 – Vienna ~ Bratislava ~ Prague

Before we headed to our next main destination, Prague, my family and I decided to take a quick stop in Bratislava. Since Slovakia’s capital is so close to Vienna, and because I had never been, I thought it’d be fun to make a quick detour into Bratislava. Of course instead of following this and heading into Slovakia, you could spend a few extra hours in either Vienna or Prague instead. However, I’d really recommend checking out Bratislava instead – I didn’t have huge expectations for it, but I got a really good impression of the city from the quick couple of hours I spent there!

Days 10 and 11 – Prague

Prague is an amazing city for many reasons; from its impressive Prague Castle to its beautiful Charles Bridge, it is definitely one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Luckily, since this itinerary allows for two full days in Prague, you’ll have time to a good amount of the city without tiring yourself out. While here, make sure to spend some time of course at the Prague Castle, check out both Wenceslas Square and Old Town Square, and just taking some time to walk though the charming streets and see the city for yourself without having to worry about following any certain outline. There’s no way you’ll get bored while here, there’s simply just so much to do and see in the Czech Republic’s capital city. I remember just driving in from Bratislava/Vienna, having never been before, and being blown away by how stunning the city looked just from the surrounding highway!

Berlin (4 nights total)

Day 12 – Prague ~ Dresden ~ Berlin

Before heading to the final city of the trip, Berlin, be sure to make a quick stop in Dresden. This metropolis, one of the most photogenic cities in Germany, is located practically right on the path from Prague to Berlin, so there’s no avoiding it. Spend part of your day exploring around Dresden, either planning out a certain spot in the city to visit, or just walking around on foot and seeing what you can find around the state capital.

Days 13 and 14 – Berlin

Last but definitely not least, spend the last two days of your trip in the capital of Germany. Visit the huge Reichstag building and learn about the intriguing past of the building, or check out the mighty Brandenburg Gate and stand in the spot where an incredible amount history has been made. Learn about anything from Ancient Egypt to classical art on Museum Island, or see some of the only still-standing parts of the former Berlin Wall at the Berlin Wall Memorial and East Side Gallery. You can choose to spend your two full days in this amazing city however you want, but I promise whatever you do you’ll have a great time while in Berlin!

Day 15 – Head Home from Berlin

After a (hopefully) an incredible trip, head back home or to your next destination on the fifteenth day of your trip. The end of every trip is bittersweet, so if you’re sad about it ending just remember that you’ll be off on your next travel in no time!

That’s all for this itinerary – I worked very hard on this so I truly hope you enjoyed it and found it helpful. This also brings us to the end of my entire series I’ve been writing for the half year on this trip, which is a pretty big deal to me! I had tons of fun writing about this vacation that I went on, and I’m pretty sad that this is the last post I’ll be writing about it. I’m glad that I did write so detailed about the entire trip though, because now I can easily look back on it and read and see photos about my time in each of these great places. Hopefully you enjoyed pretty much reliving this journey with me throughout these posts, whether you’ve been reading since December when I first announced I was going on this trip or if this is the very first post of mine you’ve ever read 🙂

I’m not too sure of what my next posts will be yet – I’ve had new content to write about for so long now that I’m not used to having to make up new ideas! However definitely stay tuned for future posts (every Sunday) as I’m sure I’ll find some fun things to write about from my past (as well as coming up) travels.

2 Comments

This brought back so many memories from my time living in Europe! I visited Munich twice, and also got to see Neuschwanstein and Vienna (on different trips). When I was in Dresden, there were lots of tourists from The Czech Republic, since it’s pretty close from there, but unfortunately I didn’t have the time. Great itinerary Hannah! thanks for sharing! Hopefully one day I’ll do it!

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comment

Name *

Email *

Website

About Me

Welcome to Hannah Travels! My name is Hannah, and I started this blog in January 2017. Here you will find all kinds of posts about places that I've visited as well as few about places I'd like to visit. I hope you enjoy my posts, and thank you for visiting my site! Make sure to read the 'About' tab if you'd like to know more about me.